RESEARCH   PRIORITIZATION 

Research in Wollega University is expected to meet the objectives of contributing to developmental needs of the country by supporting and conducting applied research, and by making the teaching and learning process problem-solving and conducive to the expansion of knowledge. According to Article 113 of Wollega University legislation, the setting of research priorities shall be the responsibility of each department and faculties and each year the university will set guidelines for research priorities.

 All departments are expected to prepare documents of research strategies with priorities in the short, medium and long terms and submit to the WU Research and Extension Office. The research priorities of the department need to be geared to meet the University research priorities.  Article 15 (1) of Higher Education Proclamation states that’ “any institution shall identify research areas to be prioritized on the basis of the need of the country”. Article  15 (2) states that “any institution shall undertake that (a) takes in to account the needs of the country and enables to equip (policy makers and practitioners) with scientific knowledge, and (b) Equips students and trainees with basic knowledge that enables them to undertake practical studies and research “.

 The National Science and Technology Policy (ESTC, 1993), governing science and technology related endeavors in the country, sets the following sectors and broad research programs as the country’s research priorities. However, these lists are not exhaustive, but they are pointers to the research priorities and research directions in the higher teaching institutions in Ethiopia. The university shall also adopt the research priority of the country as stated below.

 1. Education

 Research in areas of education should aim at identifying ways to:

• Strengthen education at all level and,
• How to make research outputs useable to education
• improve the relevance ,quality ,administration  of education at  all levels of the system   

 2. Agricultural research

 Research in agriculture should:

• Support activities for self-sufficiency through food supply by supporting and encouraging research:
•  Raise the productivity of crops, animal resource and production implements in kind, quality and       quantity, taking in to account environmental protection as well as people tradition and culture.
• Use irrigation schemes of different scales and forms to secure reliable production.
• On methods of reducing pre and post harvest loss during agricultural production, employing appropriate technologies for prevention, handling and processing.
• Facilitate the supply of agricultural raw materials for industrial use in sufficient quantity and quality.
• Upgrade the quality, quantity and variety of exportable agricultural commodities.
• Strategies that would promote the dissemination of appropriate rural technologies for integrated        rural development by studying and developing the long standing cultural know how and  methodology

 3. Natural resource development and environmental protection

• Map out the country’s ecosystem /ecology to identify and document the diverse biological resource and to collect, store, protect and utilize the plant and animal resource.
• Design and implement appropriate land use, practical and sustainable land conservation method
• Mechanisms to maintain the natural or, in general, control deforestation and ecological imbalance
• Discover, popularize and develop fast growing, drought resistant and multi-purpose tree species so as to rehabilitate and develop degraded environments.
• Reduce and control air, water, and soil pollution from agricultural and industrial chemicals.
•  Strengthen technologies/methods that would help follow up changes in the environment and to forecast, prevent and minimize the effects of natural disasters.

 4. Water resources development

• Improve the quality, quantity, conservation and utilization of ground and surface water.
• Multi-purpose water resource development for an integrated provision of water resources for agriculture, energy transport and private use.
• Supply of reliable and clean water supply to urban and rural dwellers.
• Control of sedimentation, watershed management and use of rainwater5. Industry
• Strengthen linkages between industry and agriculture
• Explore markets for basic goods, implementation and equipments to promote small scale and rural industries
• Develop techniques for the production of industrial raw material and other inputs.

 6. Construction

• Produce, use and popularize appropriate and local specific construction materials, equipment and technology
• Develop capacity for design, management, execution and follow-up in priority according economic sectors such as water works, dams, and, irrigation, transport and communications.
• Generate and develop of technologies for a labor intensive and speedy over-all development of the constriction sectors.
• Improve and promote wider application of traditional construction technologies.

 7. Minerals resources

•  Preparation, dissemination of techniques and strategies the promote the exploration, study and utilization of mineral resources,
• Study, explore and develop mineral resources,

 8. Health and population planning:

• Prevention and control of communicable and parasitic diseases.
• Improve and sustain maternal and child health
• Identify causes and solutions of urban and rural community health problem Study on diverse social factors influencing the development of the society

 9. Food and nutritional studies

• Traditional medicines and health related beliefs and attitudes
• Environmental pollution and health problems
• Clear water supply and environmental sanitation
• Research on the prevention of newly emerging diseases

 10. Health service systems

• Effectiveness of family planning strategies

 11. New and emerging technologies

• The application of bio-technology in the fields of agriculture, health and industry, and Microelectronics.